Collapsible and portable shelters



Feb. 7, 19 1 H. E. SCHULTZ I 2,970,600

COLLAPSIBLE AND PORTABLE SHELTERS Filed Sept. 8, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 HERMAN E. SCHULTZ INVENTOR.

Feb. 7, 1961 H. E. SCHULTZ COLLAPSIBLE AND PORTABLE SHELTERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 8, 1958 INVENTOR.

HERAN E. SCHULTZ 1951 H. E. SCHULTZ, 2,970,600

COLLAPSIBLE AND PORTABLE SHELTERS Filed Sept. 8, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 HERMAN? SCHULTZ I VENTOR. 24 24 t United States Patent O COLLAPSIBLE AND PORTABLE SHELTERS Herman E. Schultz, Portland, Oreg. (9050 Washington Ave., Fairchild AFB, Wash.)

Filed Sept. 8, 1958, Ser. No. 759,520

1 Claim. (Cl. 135-5) This invention relates generally to shelters and more especially to one which is designed for use as a protection against sun, wind or rain on bathing beaches, picnics, in camping areas and other locations for outdoor relaxation.

It is one of the principal objects of the invention to provide a shelter of the character described which is of lightweight, durable and inexpensive construction, pleasing in appearance and capable of convenient erection from a collapsed and portable condition to an operative position in which it may be anchored to the ground in a sturdy and substantial manner without the use of guy wires or other extraneous means of reinforcement or stabilization.

Another object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary hood of waterproof material readily attachable to the top of the shelter and extending downwardly from the four sides thereof as added protection in case of rain.

A further object is the provision of a carrying case for conveniently and compactly storing or transporting the shelter and its component parts when collapsed and disassembled. The foregoing and other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shelter made in accordance with my invention, assembled into an operative position.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a protective covering for the top of the shelter.

. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the shelter collapsed and disposed within a carrying case.

Figure 4 is a top plan view on an enlarged scale of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a front view of Figure 4 with a fragment of one leg broken away.

Figures 6 and 7 are enlarged sectional detailed views taken respectively along the lines 6-6 and 7-7 of Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a top plan view of the frame of the shelter.

Figure 9 is a front elevational view of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary side view of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary side view of Figure 5.

With continuing reference to the drawing wherein like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views, reference numeral 1 indicates, generally, a shelter made in accordance with my invention and comprising a rigid top frame (Figure 8) indicated generally at 2, of rectangular shape made of a single bar of metal and formed into front and rear members 3 and 4 integrated with side members 5 and 6. The rear corners of the frame 2 are swingably attached to hollow, vertical, tubular members 7 and 8 by .means of bolts and wing nuts 9 and 10. Diagonal braces 11 and 12 are removably secured at one of their ends to the sides ice a 5 and 6 of the top frame by means of bolts and wing nuts 13 and 14, and the opposite ends of the braces are permanently but swingably attached to the tubular members 7 and 8 by means of rivets 16. Adapted for telescopic engagement with the tubular members 7 and 8 are twohollow tubular legs 17 and 18 lockable to the tubular members by means of set screws 19 and 20.

Insertable within the bottom ends of the hollow legs 17 and 18 are supporting stakes 22 and 23 adapted to be driven into the ground to a'limit established by a flange 24 and upon which the bottom ends of the legs 17 and 18 normally rest.

A covering for the top frame member 2 comprises a sheet of fabric 25 which extends downwardly behind the tubular members 7 and 8 and legs 17 and 18 to provide a backdrop 25A attachable to said members (see Figures 5 and 11) by means of cords 27 extending through grommets 28 at suitably vertically spaced intervals and wrapped about the tubular members 7--8 and the legs 17--18 as shown respectively at 30 and 31. The bottom end of the cord 27 is securely tied about the legs 17 and 18 to hold the backdrop in a taut condition. This attachment of the covering to the top frame and the attachment of the continuation of the top cover as a backdrop to the tubular members 7 and 8 and to the legs 17 and 18 stabilizes the top frame and said leg portions against distortion relative to each other and protects a user of the shelter from sun, wind or rain from above and from one side thereof. This attachment of the covering also prevents the bottom ends of the legs from splaying outward when not inserted in the ground.

A valance 32 extends downwardly from the side and front edges of the top frame covering 25 and is secured thereto as by stitching 33.

The front edge of the top frame covering 25 is attached to the front frame member 3 by folding therearound (Figure 7) and attachment to the underside of the top covering by means of cooperating snap fasteners 34 and 35.

The sides of the valance are similarly attached to the side top frame members 5 and 6 by a strap 36 secured as by stitching 37 to the top frame covering, looped about the side frame members and provided at its ends with cooperating snap fasteners 38 and :39.

For decorative purposes, I provide the bottom edges of the valance and the bottom edge of the backdrop with fringe indicated respectively at 40 and 41.

At any desired spacing from the bottom edge of the backdrop 25A, I provide a piece of fabric material secured to the backdrop as by stitching 42, 43, 44 and 45 to provide pockets 46 and 47 reinforced at their corners by triangular pieces 48 and 49 and also provided at their top edges with fringe 50 for decorative purposes.

To render the covering 25 of the top frame waterproof, I provide a hood (Figure 2) preferably made of plastic, or the like, and comprising a top wall 55, side, front and rear walls 56 and 57, the bottom edge of each of which is turned upwardly on itself as at 58 to enclose a drawcord 59 for attaching the hood to the top frame.

From the foregoing, it will be readily apparent that the top frame 2 and tubular members 7 and 8 may be readily collapsed into compact form by detaching the braces from the top side frame members 5 and 6 by means of the wing nuts 14. The supporting leg members 17 and 18 may be removed from the members 7 and 8 by loosening the set screws 19 and 20 and the stakes 22 and 23 may be withdrawn from the leg members.

For convenience in carrying the shelter and its components in collapsed form, I provide a carrying case having front and rear walls 60 and 61, side walls 62 and 63, and a bottom wall 64. To the front and rear walls, I secure as by stitching 65 the bottom ends of straps evdisoo 66 looped back on themselves as at 67 to provide matchtherein-will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A shelter comprising a rigid horizontal top frame made of a single bar of metalformed into front and rear members and side members, hollow vertical tubular supporting members having top and bottom ends, means provided at the top end of said supporting members for r attachment to the rear corners of said top frame, diagonal braces permanently attached to said supporting members below the top ends thereof and attached at their opposite ends to said side members of said top frame,

hollow vertical tubular leg members having top and =bottom ends and adapted at their top ends for limited insertion into the bottom end of said hollow tubular supporting members, stakes having top and bottom ends and adapted at their bottom ends for insertion into the ground and at their top ends for engagement within the bottom ends of said vertical tubular leg members for maintaining the shelter in a vertical position, annular flange means integrated with said stakes intermediate the ends thereof whereby to limit the extent of insertion of the stakes into the ground and whereby to provide a solid footing for said leg members, and a unitary covering attached'to said front and sidemembers of said top frame, extending downwardly therefrom into a backdrop and attached to said supporting members and to said leg members to therebystabilize said top frame and said supporting members and'saidleg members all relative to each other and whereby said backdrop will prevent the botom ends of said leg members from splaying outwardly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Burland Aug. 12, 1902 

